Review: NFC | Ring - Horizon

I had the privilege of being sent the Horizon model of NFC Ring to demo and review. (Thanks, Ryan!) I must say, for how simple of a device it is, it is pretty cool! It's also quite fashionable too if I do say so myself!

For those not in the know, NFC Ring is a Kickstarter funded project where they've placed not just one, but two NFC tags in various rings. In the case of my Horizon model, one side is completely blacked out, while the other actually shows the tag within. For me, I like the blacked out look more, but I did consider rocking the digital look on the outside.

All blacked out!

The other side of the NFC Ring shows off the NFC tag.

Now I have to admit, I did struggle just a shade when I received it to get it working. Within the box comes instructions, telling me to go to a certain website to download their official app. I did do this and it installed onto my LG G4 just fine without an error. However, when it came to doing anything with my NFC Ring, the two would just not talk. I don't know if this is an issue their app and the Horizon model, my smartphone, or a mix.

Luckily, Ryan, who has experience with the NFC Ring, told me I could just use Trigger and NFC Writer by Tagstand to get the job done - and they both did.

The next step was possibly a bigger hurdle. What do I do with two NFC tags around my finger? The obvious choice would probably have one set to unlock my phone automatically. However, since I wear my Pebble Steel all the time, it keeps my LG G4 unlocked via Trusted Devices. There goes that idea for the ring.

So, just for fun, and because I can, I created my own Tasker/Trigger combo to open and close my most frequently used app, Telegram. If you'd like to know how I did this, feel free to connect with me on Google+ or Twitter.

On the other side of the ring, I loaded some basic, personal info onto the tag. It is somewhat like a mini business card. I tried to add more onto it, but the Horizon NFC Ring is limited to just 80KB.

When it comes to comfort and staying on my finger for most of the day, I've had no issues with it at all. I feels very comfortable and hasn't caused my skin any irritations. The NFC Ring is also waterproof (they say up to 50M) so I don't worry about taking it off to wash my hands or do the dishes.

I have managed to bump the ring here on there. This is a ring on my hand after all, so it will suffer some abuse. However, I don't see any nicks or scratches on it, so certainly has some durability to it.

If you're one who uses NFC with your Android device to run various tasks, this could be a great product for you! Check out NFC Ring's website to preorder your own Horizon model, or one of their other models available.